Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / July 4, 1981, edition 1 / Page 5
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SAT., JULY 4, 1981 v . 1 .... : !: -J7v:--. fv' 7.;.;;: m, - riY; -- ---- 1 There Will Never Be Another D.T. -1 By Elson Armstrong, Jr. They saved his 1 name nearly for last because they knew he- would get the loudest ovation. On this warm night amid a .galaxy of ACC Superstars, he still main tained a special place in the collective, hearr" of- the crowd. Even though it has now been more than six years since he wore the Wolfpack red, he still looked the same. When the announcer finally got to his name, "and now starting for the Wolfpack, Number 44, David Thompson", the expected roar lasted for' several minutes as Thomp-' son ran to mid-court to acknowledge the ovation. Directly to front of him, a die-hard State fan waved his finger in the air and signaled to D.T. that he was still No. 1 . Even though this was the Big Four Alumni games and the calendar said it Was June 27, 1981, the name, David Thomp son brihgs back enough legendary memories to last a life time. While Thompson stood there ' smiling, ' one couldn't help but let ; the memories flow back to the m id-1 97Q's when Thomp j son came rolling ; into Raleiiih from his native Shelby, N.C.. and he along with his Wolfpack teammates were setting the collegiate basketball world on fire. The nation got it's first view of Thompson's greatness on Super Sun day, 1973, when State and Maryland both undefeated and ranked in th? top three put on a ' classic show in Maryland's Cole Field House. The game more than lived up to its buildup as the two Titans were tied at 85. With the seconds ticking away, State center Tom Burleson's attempted hook bounced high off the rim and Maryland fans sighed relief as surely they had dodged the bullet and the game would now go into overtime. But Wait!!! Like a black Superman, Thompson soared high in to the air and tipped it in at the buzzer. A- legend was born and Thompson and his teammates would occupy the top two posi tions of collegiate basket ball for 1973 and 1974. The sad part of the 1 97,3 season was that State had been placed on a year's probation for over zealous recruiting of Thompson. So the Wolfpace didn't get to play for the national crown. Instead, they settl ed for a 270 season cap ped off by a stirring 76-74 win over Maryland in the .finals of the' ACC, Tourna ment. For Thompson and State, the best was yet to come. Ah, 1974, the year of the gas lines, Richard Nix on's resignation, the "Exorcist",' Hank Aaron's 715th homer, and the end of the UCLA basketball dynasty. When D.T. and Co. took the court in 1974, the probation had been lifted and they could now show' the world that they should rank among the best col-: legiate teams ever. ! Early in that memorable season, State met the power among powers, UCLA, in St. Louis and were run out of town by, Bill Walton's Gang,; 84-68. A disappointed! Thompson, not used to defeat, made a vow that Durham To Host Carolina League All-Star Game -: 4- By Elson Armstrong, Jr. While fans in the major league cities continue to suffer "withdrawal pains" because of the. baseball strike, the Bull City continues to bask in the national pasttime. For Durham fans, not only are their beloved Bulls sitting on top of the league pennant race thus far into the second half of the Carolina League season (the. Bulls narrowly lost the first half flag to. Kinston) but are playing the best basebalj that they've played this season. Durham fans will now get a first hand look at the best that the league has to offer when the city hosts the annual Carolina League All-Star Game at the Athletic Park on July 7. The game, which will also be broadcast live by WTVD, Channel 11, will' begin at 7:30 p.m. Durham Manager "Dirty" Al Gallagher will be the skipper for the Southern Division Stars (Gallagher also managed the Southern team last year when they beat the North 4-3) while Grady Little of the hot hitting Hagerstown Suns will pilot the Northern Starts. Five members of the Durham Bulls made the squad. They are Third Baseman Tom Hayes, Left Fielder Brad Kom minsk, Short Stop Miguel Sosa, and Pitchers Mike Payne and Rick Behenna. A large crowd is ex pected so the Bulls advise, for those planning to at tend, to arrive early. If past All-Star games are any indication, there should be plenty of fire wbrks. I! I i 'A 9 1 Signing Of 5-Year Contract Applauded Basketball star Gus Williams (c) smiles as he holds up the pen he used to sign a five year contract with the Seattle Supersonics, June 19, ending more than a year of toogb negotiations. Williams hands over the pen to his agent, Howard Slasher (1). While sonics owner Sam Schulm an (r) applauds the signing of the 45-page document. UPI If the sound of a ticking clock is disturbing, cover the 'clock with a large glass tumbler, a jar or a bowl. . ' "Self-Preservation The First Law Of Nature" Spend your bucks with merchants who spend some of their's in YOUR community. If we are ever to "overcome", we must weigh the economics and be ever mindful about WHERE we spend. Those merchants who advertise in The Carolina Times are telling you that N they want your business; . , they appreciate your business; , : ... . ; ... r v . v ; j they speml In your community, tool " l It Makes Good Sense they would make up for that poor showing if they ever met UCLA again. State would not lose another contest that year and they seemed to play their best in the big games. State seemed to have an uncanny way of beating r some of Lefty Driesell's greatest Maryland teams. . The Wolfpack fans merri ly danced as D.T. and his friends dominated Dean Smith's hated North , Carolina Tar Heels in a fashion that no team ever did before or since. The Wolfpack incredibly beat the Tar Heels ten straight times during the Thomp son era. i .. svjDin-mgNhisvi hi's best , season .David Thompson '"warTTirtMtmI-oT the- media - he always found time -to grant interviews; never complained ori or off the court; Scored an ACC record 57 points in one came:' his 'Alley Oop'.'.sho! was widely im itated by young cagers; and young and old sought his autograph. Thompson was more than ready wien the 1974 NCAA playoffs opened. In the Eastern Champion ship game against outclassed Pittsburgh , , Thompson seemed well on his way to great day and the rematch with UCLA loomed large on the horizon. Then it happen ed. In an attempt to block a shot, Thompson, in mid air, caught a teammates' body and seemed to tum ble head first onto the Reynolds Coliseum floor. As he lay there mo tionless, at first the silence was frightening. Was this the end of the line for No, 44? Happily it wasn't. Within a week, D.T. was ready for the epic rematch with UCLA, a team that had not lost a NCAA playoff game since 1963; a team that had won seven straight NCAA crowns; a team that called the NCAA's, the UCLA In vitational! The two Goliaths battl (Continued on Page6) Elson' s Pre- Season Pigskin League Picks 11 j yjr popu Mffl h Cv. if "V". ff -' v - KS-1 By Elson Armstrong, Jr. As the frustrating baseball strike continues in this summer of discon tent, the date drws ever closer for collegiate foot ball workouts. 1 Before long you'll be hearing the thunderous clashing of shoulder pads under the hot August sun. The first game for many teams is now only two monmths off, so its time for me to let go with another freaky forecast (don't bet your pay check on it!). I'm only,picking the teams that I think will finish, in the top three of each conference. CI AA Southern Div. 1. N.C. Central 2. Winston-Salem State 3. Elizabeth City State MEAC 1. S. C. State 2. N.C. A&T 3. Florida A&M ACC 1. North Carolina 2. N.C. State 3. Duke SEC 1. Alabama 2. LSU 3. Georgia Big Ten 1. Michigan 2. Ohio State 3. Illinois Big Eight 1. Oklahoma 2. Nebraska 3. Iowa State SWC 1. Texas 2. Arkansas 3. SMU Pac-Ten 1. use 2. UCLA 3. Stanford PCAA 1 . San Jose State 2. Fresno State 3. Long Beach State WAC 1. Brigham Young 2. Utah 3. Hawaii Ivy league 1. 'Yale- 2. Brown 3. Darmouth Major Independents 1,. Notre Dame 2. Penn State 3. Pittsburgh 4. Florida Stale 5. South Carolina FT itSHu. . illt of FJ LLr Of k5 Akrjj XI our See 'for Your .rBrfvv't.W.r.' anco.JOBrfv.r" jl unci se U9 - - o? H Vol SftSSfeSs- ."'urns : f A DDCMTCD 9 C U ' Summer Service Special To start the month of July off right, we've got the best price in the Triangle Area on oil chanae. filier. and lubrication on GM cars & trucks. That's why Meharry Medical College needs your help. Since 1876, Meharry has educated more black doctors than any other college in the world. ' - Today, 43 of all practicing black physicians and dentists plus thousands of other health professionals are Meharry graduates. -" " ' -'" ' ' " " ' " Meharry doctors help those who need it most: 3 out of 4 practice in central cities and rural areas where health care is hard to find. , Three out of 5 become "family doctors" the kind these . neighborhoods need most. -v. : Half of all Meharry students are themselves from low-income7 families, and 90 need financial aid. 1 ', To continue all it Is doing'for the health and life of the black American community, Meharry must have contributions for .scholarahipMacuny, researdv . , ' Because of Meharry's service to the nation, many are already giving. Much more Is needed. Every dollar counts. We need your support, too. 1 - . Lloyd C. Etam. M.D.. Chancellor MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE Second Century Fund Nashville, TN 37208 Enclosed is my contribution of $ Oil Change ( Filter A Send me Meharry's brochure "Securing the Future." Mam Addrtu City. .State. .Zip. Contributions are tax-deductible. i G.M.Top duality Lubrication! Good Monday, July 6th thru Friday, July tOth Hours: Mon. -Fit 7:30-5:30 Downtown Durham plus . h U VjN.C.Tax jti va x xi lo.-. i ..P3 CO th.?,? Carfu.rern' anH !0 Get yiBiii iHl!jHli'llUiii;jiii:..ti uitiu mmmmmmmmm t, 600 E. Main St.Ph: 632-0541 1 !f Every month YOU get the BEST IN Home Entertainment from DURHAM CABLEVISI0NM! (This is only a por tion of July)
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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July 4, 1981, edition 1
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